Wizard Ch. 17

The woman-at-arms thrust her sword forward, trying to take advantage of her momentum. The creature jerked to the side and let the sword glance off the side of its head. It turned before Artesia could pull back and clamped its teeth down on the blade. Artesia scowled and tugged on her sword. The dragonkin held it fast and then, with a twist of its head and flex of its powerful jaws, it snapped the blade off just above the hilt.

Artesia stumbled back and tripped. She fell on her bottom but all she knew was a flaring agony that raced up her back. The dragonkin lunged forward and then stopped when it realized something was wrong. It snapped its jaw in mid air but couldn't dislodge the section of blade that her wedged itself across the roof of its mouth between its teeth.

She drew her dagger and slammed it into the chest of the creature. It pulled back, trying to get away from her but Artesia wouldn't let it. She caught its hind leg between hers and locked her ankle together, trapping it and dragging her with it. She felt like her entire body was a raw stump being ground against a salty beach. Nothing mattered except the pain and the knowledge that she had to hold on or die.

The dragonkin tripped on her gripping legs and fell back on its haunch. Artesia flung and arm around its neck and pulled herself close enough to slam her knife into its chest again. She managed another stab while it tried to get a hand between them and push her away. Artesia grimaced as a claw narrowly missed her eye and creased the side of her head. It snagged her elongated ear and ripped through the tip, all without dislodging her.

Artesia twisted and push with her dagger, sawing deeper through the thinner hide of the beast's underside. She felt the vibration of bone an twisted the blade the other way, sliding deeper moving easier now. She worked the blade back and forth until the dragonkin realized it could not dislodge her. It dropped on top of her instead.

Artesia coughed loudly. The air in lungs exploded through her mouth and nose, burning her throat in the process with the force of it. The dagger trapped between them was driven into the dragonkin's chest so far that even the hilt tore through the hide. The pommel ground against Artesia's hauberk and pinched her cruelly.

Artesia lay there, stunned and struggling to breath. She was lying on something, either a bed of stabbing rocks or maybe even Roxanne's mace. That or she'd fallen in a campfire. She couldn't move though, the dragonkin had her pinned down and any thoughts of escape made her hurt almost as much as her body already did.

Helleen managed to sit up and was struggling to free herself from the dragonkin when she saw a rock rise and roll away from the pile in the middle of the pass. More rocks moved and then, slowly, a dark shape rose to its hands and knees. It lifted its head and met her gaze with dark, cold eyes.

"Fuck me," Helleen breathed.

The creature lifted itself up to stand on its feet, a long shaft with a wicked curving axe blade on one end. It rose to its full height just as another shape materialized out of the darkness behind it. Helleen gasped as the massive creature lifted the axe up and then jerked.

Helleen stared, startled and expecting the blade to drop on her like an executioner's axe. No, this creature's axe was larger. But still it didn't fall. Wait-- there it went... but it fell from the monster's hands and clattered across the rocks.

The bigger brother to the dragonkin staggered backward a half step and then fell to its knees. It kept going, catching itself on its hands for a moment and then falling the rest of the way forward so it's face was on the dragonkin that was on her legs.

Now she could see a man standing triumphant behind the creature, a spear held in both hands and a strange non-light surrounding him in an aura that she couldn't exactly see so much as feel. The aura faded, pulling back into the man and she realized with a start that she was staring at her Master.

John ripped his spear out of the dragonkinman-- dragonman-- and met her eyes before glancing to her right and left.

"Thank you, milord," Helleen whispered. She chose milord only because she knew he wouldn't want her to call him by his proper title... Master.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he stepped around the pile of bodies and looked down at Roxanne. Her eyes were open, barely, and she was reaching across her body to clutch her side with her good arm.

"I'm stuck," she said. "They're heavy, but I'll be fine. Rox got stabbed... it looked bad."

John nodded and turned. Jennaca was running full out down the path and Sadie was hurrying along behind her, her dress clutched in her hands to give her legs room to move faster. John reached out to brush a tear off of Roxanne's cheek with his thumb. "Rest, you did well. Sadie will be here in a moment."

Roxanne forced her eyes open and she tried to smile. She nodded and coughed, then squeezed her eyes shut a moment as a spasm of pain tormented her.

John moved to grab Helleen under the arms. She heard him grunt as he strained to pull her out from under the carcasses. She winced as her ankle was bent before she finally popped free and was able to move again.

"Thanks," Helleen panted.

John grunted and moved over to grab the dragonkin on top of Artesia. He could see her arms moving and trying to dislodge the beast, but the catches in her breath told him she was in dire shape as well. He grabbed the dragonkin and pulled on it, dragging it slowly off of Artesia to the side and then moving to pull its lower body off as well. He stared down at Artesia and offered his hand to her.

Artesia looked up at him and shivered. She winced and let a breath whistle through her teeth.

"You're hurt," John stated.

She hesitated and then risked a nod. "My back."

John's eyes widened. "Can you feel your legs?"

She gave him a twisted smile. "I feel them all right. Feel like I've been spitted and I'm being roasted over a fire."

John nodded. "Okay... don't move. Sadie will tend to do you next."

"Good idea," Artesia said. "You're going to handle the rest of them?"

John looked around. "I don't see any more."

She tried to lift her head but let it drop back to the ground when it proved too painful to move. "Okay. Good job, my lord."

"I even used my spear once," John tried to lighten the mood.

"You stabbed him in the back."

"Still counts."

Artesia rolled her eyes.

He turned back and saw Sadie cut away Roxanne's ruined tunic. She placed her hand on the woman's side and prayed while holding her holy symbol. A soft glow emanated from the amulet and Roxanne's breathing grew easier. Sadie tugged her ruined shirt back up and tended to her arm next, channeling Eile's blessing into the torn flesh and rejoining rent muscles and tendons until even the skin looked fresh and new.

Sadie sat back on her calves for a moment and then looked up at John.

He turned and looked at Artesia. "Her back," he said

She nodded and rose to her feet. She dropped down beside her and looked over. "I'll tend to your back in a minute," she said and reached out the gently press her hand along the gouge in the side of Artesia's head.

When she finished Artesia smiled and said, "Thank you. I didn't even notice it until you mended it."

"The bone was laid bare and your ear was nearly cut off."

"Could have let the ear go," Artesia said.

"No, it's part of what makes you beautiful," Sadie insisted. "Now did they cut you or something?"

"No, just... I got twisted wrong and something popped. Then I felt all... well, loose. The pain came a little later. Then it really hit when I fell on my arse."

"Can you move?"

"Of course," Artesia said. "I may cry like a sandling and curse like a sailor though."

Sadie smiled. "I won't tell anyone if you do."

"I won't care," Artesia admitted. "I've never felt pain like this."

"I need to take your armor off."

"What?" Artesia hissed.

"I have to see the wound. See it... and touch it with my bare hands."

"It's inside," Artesia argue. "I didn't get cut."

"All the same, it must be my flesh against yours."

Artesia took a moment and then gave a curt nod. She winced at the effort. "I'll need help, I think... and, um, privacy."

"Of course," Sadie said. She turned and saw Helleen kneeling next to her sister. Roxanne was struggling to stay awake. Healing grievous wounds was an exhausting ordeal. More so for the person being healed, but it took its toll on Sadie too.

John stepped up beside them and squatted down. "I'll help," he said.

"All right," Sadie said and moved to her other side. "We should have a plank to put her on and carry her."

"I have a better idea," John said.

He closed his eyes a moment before nodding to himself. He focused and traced out a spell in the air above her. He pulled the magic into it and made Artesia gasp as she felt herself lifted off the ground. She moved without moving. Her body lifted in perfect support as it had when she'd been laying on the ground.

Zynga scooped up Artesia's fallen dagger and fell in step with the others. Jennaca put her hand on Sasha's back and lightly ruffled the tiger's fur. The people gathered in front of it stared at them until it occurred to them they were returning. They all fled back inside save for Karl, the tavern's owner. He waited out front and held the door open for them without saying a word.